Method of uniting threads



Jan. 8, 1 935. w. D. KI ILLOGG I 1,986,974

METHOD OF UNITING THREADS Filed June 17, 1933 A w lNV T R ATTORNEY;

Patented Jan. 8, 1935 Q UNITED STATES 1,986,974 rm'rnon F um'rme THREADSWilliam D. Kellogg, Amsterdam, N. Y., assignor to Mohawk Carpet Mills,Inc., Amsterdam, N. Y., a. corporation of New York Application June 1'1,1933, Serial No. 676,285 6 Claims. (01. 28-1) This invention relates tomethods of uniting tying and a new strand made up of smaller piecesunited by that method. The method of the invention may be used tospecial advantage in the preparation and use of threads, yarns, etc. inthe manufacture of textile fabrics, and the adaptation of the inventionto that field will accordingly be described in detaiLfor-purposes ofexplanation, although it is to be understood that the utility of themethod is not limited to that specific application. I

The breakage of threads and yarns occurs in all winding and spoolingoperations employed in the textile art and it is the usual practice tosecure the ends together by tying. This operation is done either by handor by a device known as a hand-knotter, the latter being used when thestrands'are relatively small. The tying of the ends together results inthe formation of an enlargement in the form of a knot in the strand andusually leaves two loose ends projecting from the knot. The presence ofsuch knots in threads and yarns causes many difiiculties in weavingoperations.

When warp threads break and are tied together, the resulting knots arefrequently too large to pass through the heddle eyes of the loom andthrough the spaces between the reed dents of the lay. When the' knots.reach the heddle eyes or reed dents, the threads are again broken, andthis necessitates stopping the loom with a consequent loss inloomefiiciency. Even if the knots in the warp threads are small enoughto pass through the heddle eyes and reed dent spaces, they are likely tocause lumps and imperfections in the body of the fabric which are highlyobjectionable;

Knots in the pile yarn used in a carpet, rug, or similar fabric, produceseriousdefects, especially when they appear in the face yarn, and suchknots must be removed by hand in a finishing operation which addsgreatly to the cost of manufacture. The seriousness of the presence ofknots in the pile yarn will be better appreciated when it is understoodthat in the weaving of a five frame Wilton rug of the 9' by 12' size,there is a possibility of obtaining five thousand knots in the pile yarnalone, the majority of which must be removed, if a satisfactory pilesurface is to be obtained.

Pile yarn knots present an equally serious problem in the weaving ofAxminster fabrics. In

the ordinary Axminster looms in which each individual end of pile yarnis passed through a separate tube and presented to the fabric to belooped about a weft shot, such knots ofier considerable resistance tothe free passage of the yarn through the tubes, and even though theknots are carefully made, they frequently cause breakage of the pileyarns and this requires the insertion of tufts by hand. Such operationsreduce the loom efliciency materially andadd l0 greatly to the cost ofmanufacture.

In fabrics in which the tuftsare inserted by needles, the elimination ofknots in the pile'yarn is particularly important as each end of yarnmust pass through a highly restricted space in 15 a hollow needle. Ifthe knot is too large to pass through the space and a breakage of thethread results, the machine must. be stopped and the needle rethreadedwith resulting loss in time and production.

The essentials of any method by which the ends of threads or yarn areunited and which is to be used in replacement for knotting either byhand or by machine are that the method must be at least as fast as tyinga knot, and the 5 strength of the strandat the point of union must beequal to or greater than the strength of the individual threads. Themethod of the present invention fulfills these requirements and,

in addition, the strand is flexible at the point of 30- union, thethickness is not increased over the original thickness of one end, andloose extremities of the strand do not extend from the point of union.The method of the present invention, therefore, offers great advantagesover the meth- 35 0d of knotting or tying heretofore used and, whenemployed in connection with the production of fabrics, it results inincreased efficiency in weaving and knitting operations and in areduction in the cost of finishing.

The method of the present invention depends on the use of an adhesivewhich sets rapidly, and in practicing the invention, the ends of thestrands to be united are placed in substantial alignment, preferablywith a slight overlap, a quantity of adhesive is applied to the ends,and the ends are then pressed together, During the pressing operation,the mass of adhesive is shaped so that it forms a coating or sheath forthe ends, this sheath being substantially r the 50 same diameter as oneof the ends. The new method can be most conveniently carried out byhand, a drop of the adhesive being, applied to the forefinger, the endsthen being rolled in contact with one another and with the, adhesive bymeans of the thumb and forefinger. The pressing and rolling operationscan be performed mechanically, if desired, but manual operations areentirely satisfactory and are preferred.

The new strand made up of two or more pieces connected together inaccordance with the new method has no enlargements and is flexible atthe points of union. The connections are fully as strong as knots andthere are no loose ends projecting from the connections.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 illustrates the first step inthe new method carried out by hand;

Figure 2 illustrates the second step;

Fgure 3 illustrates the third step, and

Figures 4 and 5 are views in section and elevation, respectively, of theunion of a pair of strands made by the new method.

In carrying out the new method by hand, a small quantity such as a goodsized drop of the adhesive is placed on the forefinger 11, and the ends12 and 13 of the strands to be united are then placed in substantialalignment and preferably witha slight overlap in contact with the dropof adhesive. The thumb 14 is then placed on top of the ends of strandsand the thumb and forfinger moved relatively so that the ends of thestrands are rolled across the adhesive.

The application of pressure by this rolling operation is continued untilthe adhesive sets and in the operation, the adhesive impregnates thefibres of the strands and also coats them. If the proper type ofadhesive is employed, it passes completely from the finger to the endsof the strands and both impregnates and coats the fibres so that at thepoint of union, the ends of the strands are encased in a continuoussheath 15.

The adhesive which I have found to give the best results for the purposeis a latex from the Hevea brasiliensis tree which has been .concentratedto bring the dry rubber content to approximately 50% to 65% by weightand which has been preserved by the addition of a small amount ofammonia such as 1% to 3%. Ammonia in this amount serves to preserve thelatex andretard coagulation, but when such a latex is subjected to a.slight pressure and rolling action, it coagulates readily, the ammoniabeing volatilized by that action. A small amount of an antioxident andan accelerator can also be added if desired but these additions are notabsolutely essential in order that the latex may serve the desiredpurpose.

The method of concentrating the latex which I prefer is one which willleave the concentrate practically free from the non-rubber constituentsof the natural latex and in a comparatively unstable and sensitivecondition such that when the latex is subjected to a relatively slightpressure and rolling action, it will be converted into an irreversiblecoagulum.

The methods of concentration which have been found satisfactory forplacing the latex in the desired condition are those in which-:thegreater part of the non-rubber constituents or, the natural protectivecolloids are eliminated from the natural latex and in which noprotective colloids are added to retard coagulation. Preferably, themethods of concentration by creaming or centrifuging are employed.

In the method of concentrating the latex by creaming, small quantitiesof a vegetable mucus, such as Iceland moss, are added to the naturallatex and the mixture is allowed to stand for a time, heat being appliedif desired to accelerate the separation. The rubber particles of thelatex concentrate in a top layer which can be drawn off while ,the waterand the water soluble compounds comprising the non-rubber constituentsform the lower layer.

Themethod of centrifuging depends on the mechanical separation of thelatex by centrifugal action into a cream and a skimmed milk. The creamcontains a high percentage of rubber and the skimmed milk a lowpercentage of rubber together with practically all of the non-rubberconstituents.

Other methods can also be employed such as filtration, these methodsresulting in the removal of the water and water solubles and leaving aconcentrate which contains a relatively high percentage of rubberparticles and only a small percentage of the non-rubber constituents. I

In the use of any of the methods mentioned, the purpose is toconcentrate the latex so that the resulting product contains apercentage of rubber particles higher than that in the natural latex anda percentage of non-rubber particles lower than that in the naturallatex. I have found that the latex containing 50% to 65% dry weight ofrubber particles and containing 1% to 3% of ammonia is most satisfactoryin the uniting of strands in accordance with the new method. When a dropof this material is placed on the forefinger and the ends of the strandsrolled together with the drop in the manner above described, rapidcoagulation of the latex occurs and the operation consumes no more timethan the ordinary tying of a knot. In addition, the rolling action sodistributes the latex that there is no lump or enlargement at the pointof union and the film or sheath of latex which secures the ends of thestrand together is flexible and the union has at least the strength of asingle strand.

What I claim is:

1. A method of uniting a pair of strands which comprises applying to theportions of said strands to be united, a quantity of rubber latexcontaining a small amount of a preservative compound, said latex beingin sensitive and unstable condition and having the property ofcoagulating rapidly when a small quantity thereof is rolled and pressedin the air, and pressing said portions and latex together with a rollingmotion continued until said latex coagulates.

2. A method of uniting a pair of strands which comprises applying toportions of said strands to be united latex containing from about 50% toabout 65% by weight of dry rubber content and a small amount of apreservative compound, and pressing and rolling said portionstogether'until said latex coagulates.

3. A method of uniting a pair of strands which comprises applying toportions of said strands to be united concentrated latex containing anunnaturally high percentage of rubber particles;

an unnaturally small amount of non-rubber constituents, and a smallamount of a preservative and pressing and rolling said portions togetherwith the latex until coagulation of the latex occurs.

5. A method of uniting a pair of strands which comprises applying rubberlatex containing a small amount of a volatile. coagulation retarder tothe portions of said strands which are to be united, said latex havingthe property of coagulating'rapidly when a small quantity thereof isrolled. and pressed in the air and maintaining said portions in contactuntil said latex has coagulated.

6. A method of uniting a pair of strands which comprises applying to theportions of said strands which are to be united a concentrated rubberlatex containing an unnaturally small amount of non-rubber constituentsand a protective compound, said latex having the property of coagulatingrapidly when rolled and pressed in the air, and applying pressure tohold said portions in contact until said latex has coagulated.

WILLIAM D. KELLOGG.

